Hot dog! Judy's still in business

HOT DOG LADY

Judy Havican, who is better known as "The Hot Dog Lady", right, gets a hug from Lisa Skovronsky, a regular customer, left, on the southwest corner of the Ocala Downtown Square in Ocala on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.

Last Modified: Friday, September 25, 2009 at 5:31 p.m.

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“They renewed my license for another year,” Havican said, still a bit rattled after fighting City Hall.

The city threatened to revoke her business license because she repeatedly violated parking rules on Ocala’s Downtown Square.

But during a late Thursday meeting with city officials, Havican — who has been a downtown fixture the past 16 years — agreed to park where she’s supposed to and call city officials if she needs a temporary waiver.

“It all just got blown out of proportion,” Havican said late Friday morning as she hauled food supplies from her car to the vending cart.

She announced the news to almost every one of her regular customers that morning, as if a little more weight was lifted from her shoulders every time she said it.

The row began when Havican, better known as the Hot Dog Lady, recently started parking her car, used to tow her hot dog cart, around the square. She’s supposed to park in a reserved spot two blocks away, which is a stipulation of her license.

“In the grand scheme of things, please. I didn’t think it (the parking violation) was a big deal,” she said, wiping sweat from her face and trying to find shade under her red and black striped umbrella.

But to the city, downtown parking and making sure customers can find a spot is a big deal.

According to city records, some bad feelings between Havican and the city have been brewing for at least a couple of years over parking.

In 2006 the City Council adopted a policy that required Havican to park off-site because the council said she was circumventing the square’s two-hour parking policy.

In 2007, the city sent Havican a letter saying she was not complying and that the next violation could result in her losing her license.

Things remained quiet — until recently.

Havican violated the parking rules twice this month, even after city staff pointed out her violations to her, according to city officials.

At 9:45 a.m. on Sept. 14, city staff hand delivered a letter asking for her compliance. That same afternoon, Havican was issued a parking ticket at an expired meter on the square.

Kathy Crile, director of the city’s Recreation and Parks Department, had another letter hand delivered to Havican on Sept. 18 saying that because of repeated parking offenses, Crile was going to recommend to the City Council at its Oct. 6 meeting that Havican’s license not be renewed.

Havican said Friday she wasn’t snubbing her nose at the city’s parking requirements — intentionally.

The problem, Havican said, was that an electric window in her car stopped working and she was afraid to park the car, which is usually packed with supplies for her business, two blocks from her stand. She said she was afraid someone would break into the vehicle.

She said it took her three days to secure $185 to pay a mechanic to fix the window, and that’s when the violations occurred.

“The fact that they (the city) went this far is despicable,” said Nancy Ledding, executive director of Brick City Center for the Arts, near the downtown square.

“She is the best ambassador the city has for visitors from outside the county,” Ledding said.

Along with being a downtown fixture, Havican also gives visitors information about where to shop, eat and find entertainment.

Friday, with the threat of losing her license behind her, Havican said that even though she violated her license, there were plenty of vacant parking spaces in the square.

“The city says I should have called them. Was I supposed to call the city manager (Ricky Horst)? This is a hot dog stand for God sake,” Havican said, shaking her head.

But that’s exactly what she should have done, Horst said.

“If she has a special need, she needs to convey that to us,” he said.

Horst said that local businesses complain to the city when they see her park her car in the square, robbing a potential customer of a parking spot close to where they want to shop. Employees who work in the area’s stores are also not allowed to park in the square area, he said.

“They ask why is she being treated differently,” he said.

Havican pays $120 annually for her license to operate downtown. She pays $11 per month for an off-site parking space. Havican is the only vendor the city allows to sell food or merchandise from a cart downtown, essentially giving Havican a monopoly. But the bottom line is that both sides made mistakes, Horst said.

Havican should have telephoned the city about the broken window, and “I think the (city) staff probably overreacted, but it came about after numerous attempts to get her to comply.”

Fred Hiers can be reached at fred.hiers@starbanner.com and 352-867-4157.

<p>The relief in Judy Havican’s voice Friday was as palpable as the sauerkraut-topped hot dogs she sold from her cart.</p><p>They renewed my license for another year, Havican said, still a bit rattled after fighting City Hall.</p><p>The city threatened to revoke her business license because she repeatedly violated parking rules on Ocala’s Downtown Square.</p><p>But during a late Thursday meeting with city officials, Havican  who has been a downtown fixture the past 16 years  agreed to park where she’s supposed to and call city officials if she needs a temporary waiver.</p><p>It all just got blown out of proportion, Havican said late Friday morning as she hauled food supplies from her car to the vending cart. </p><p>She announced the news to almost every one of her regular customers that morning, as if a little more weight was lifted from her shoulders every time she said it.</p><p>The row began when Havican, better known as the Hot Dog Lady, recently started parking her car, used to tow her hot dog cart, around the square. She’s supposed to park in a reserved spot two blocks away, which is a stipulation of her license.</p><p>In the grand scheme of things, please. I didn’t think it (the parking violation) was a big deal, she said, wiping sweat from her face and trying to find shade under her red and black striped umbrella.</p><p>But to the city, downtown parking and making sure customers can find a spot is a big deal.</p><p>According to city records, some bad feelings between Havican and the city have been brewing for at least a couple of years over parking.</p><p>In 2006 the City Council adopted a policy that required Havican to park off-site because the council said she was circumventing the square’s two-hour parking policy.</p><p>In 2007, the city sent Havican a letter saying she was not complying and that the next violation could result in her losing her license.</p><p>Things remained quiet  until recently.</p><p>Havican violated the parking rules twice this month, even after city staff pointed out her violations to her, according to city officials.</p><p>At 9:45 a.m. on Sept. 14, city staff hand delivered a letter asking for her compliance. That same afternoon, Havican was issued a parking ticket at an expired meter on the square.</p><p>Kathy Crile, director of the city’s Recreation and Parks Department, had another letter hand delivered to Havican on Sept. 18 saying that because of repeated parking offenses, Crile was going to recommend to the City Council at its Oct. 6 meeting that Havican’s license not be renewed.</p><p>Havican said Friday she wasn’t snubbing her nose at the city’s parking requirements  intentionally.</p><p>The problem, Havican said, was that an electric window in her car stopped working and she was afraid to park the car, which is usually packed with supplies for her business, two blocks from her stand. She said she was afraid someone would break into the vehicle.</p><p>She said it took her three days to secure $185 to pay a mechanic to fix the window, and that’s when the violations occurred.</p><p>The fact that they (the city) went this far is despicable, said Nancy Ledding, executive director of Brick City Center for the Arts, near the downtown square.</p><p>She is the best ambassador the city has for visitors from outside the county, Ledding said.</p><p>Along with being a downtown fixture, Havican also gives visitors information about where to shop, eat and find entertainment.</p><p>Friday, with the threat of losing her license behind her, Havican said that even though she violated her license, there were plenty of vacant parking spaces in the square.</p><p>The city says I should have called them. Was I supposed to call the city manager (Ricky Horst)? This is a hot dog stand for God sake, Havican said, shaking her head.</p><p>But that’s exactly what she should have done, Horst said.</p><p>If she has a special need, she needs to convey that to us, he said.</p><p>Horst said that local businesses complain to the city when they see her park her car in the square, robbing a potential customer of a parking spot close to where they want to shop. Employees who work in the area’s stores are also not allowed to park in the square area, he said.</p><p>They ask why is she being treated differently, he said.</p><p>Havican pays $120 annually for her license to operate downtown. She pays $11 per month for an off-site parking space. Havican is the only vendor the city allows to sell food or merchandise from a cart downtown, essentially giving Havican a monopoly. But the bottom line is that both sides made mistakes, Horst said.</p><p>Havican should have telephoned the city about the broken window, and I think the (city) staff probably overreacted, but it came about after numerous attempts to get her to comply.</p><p>Fred Hiers can be reached at fred.hiers@starbanner.com and 352-867-4157.</p>